Vanguard sets reunion show in Cape Coral

December 3, 2013

After a 10-year hiatus, the local band Vanguard is getting back together for a reunion show in Cape Coral on Friday, Dec. 27.

"I thought it would be good to do a few gigs here and there and remember the good times we had," said Vanguard's Jason Jackman. "We all knew each other playing in different bands for a total of 15 years. We had a practice session last week and it was like riding a bike. We just picked up the pieces and didn't lose anything."

Jackman said he and his band members will see how things go during and up to the reunion performance (8:30 p.m.) at Rack'em Billiards on Southeast 47th Terrace before deciding if they will do any other performances.

"We talked at the practice session about possibly doing a recording and possibly get together two or three times a year," said Jackman. "We all have families now and other responsibilities so it's hard to get everyone together."

Vanguard played gigs all over Fort Myers, Cape Coral and elsewhere for five years. They played frequently at a pool hall on Pine Island, Jackman said, and the Fort Myers Skate Park, and Orbitz, and many outdoor events in downtown Cape Coral.

"We had a good following in the Cape," said Jackman.

Jackman's group started as a punk rock band "with a positive message" and evolved to more of a rock band and eventually settled on just being a rock band. It also has its own Facebook page now for anyone wanting to know more.

"We wanted to reach out to more people so we focused on solely being a rock band," said Jackman.

Bass player and lead vocalist Jackman, 33, lead guitarist Brandon Daugherty, 33, and drummer Erick Charles, 33, all attended Bishop Verot High School together and played in other bands before getting together with guitarist and lead vocalist Robinson Moore, 39, who went to Fort Myers High School and the University of Florida.

"The three of us went to Gainesville to meet up with Robinson to form Vanguard," said Jackman, a Cape Coral resident.

Along with the local performances, the band joined the multi-stage national Vans Warped Tour which they did for three summers.

"We were the small fish on that tour," said Jackman, "but we got a big following. It was a hard tour to do because of all the travel. It can wear a lot of bands down."

Still, there are no regrets, but after five years together the band made a mutual decision to call it quits 10 years ago.

"It was just time to decide if we were going for more and leave our family and friends behind or call it a day and go do other things," said Jackman. "Just playing five years together with them was a major accomplishment."

Jackman, Dogherty and Charles all set off to college and went their separate ways in life.

"We'd like to see everyone out there at the reunion show, along with all of our old friends and families," said Jackman.